Today's News

The last day to sound off in the “Noise!” traveling exhibition is only a day away — the interactive playful look at the physics of sound closes Dec. 31 at the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge.

The exhibit gives museum visitors the opportunity to use flip flops to play music on the pipe organ or use the mallet to create musical notes on the various sizes of wrenches attached to the globe.

It will also show visitors how many decibels they can generate when they enter the scream chamber.

The year 2012 marks Tennessee State Parks’ 75th anniversary, and to kick off this year-long commemoration, each state park will host its own special hike in the first few days of the new year.

“We are very excited to announce Tennessee State Parks’ 75th anniversary and felt this series of First Hikes would be a fitting way to commence the various celebrations slated throughout the year and across the state,” said Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau.

State Sen. Brian Kelsey and Charlotte Burks plan to introduce a bill during the 2012 legislative session to ensure that Tennessee eighth-graders have learned the material necessary to start high school.

Senate Bill 2156 will end the practice of social promotion for eighth-graders. Social promotion is the practice of passing students to the next grade level, even though those students have not mastered the material.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol will conduct two driver license roadside safety checkpoints during January in Roane County.

The first checkpoint will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Jan. 6 at Hwy. 70 and Poland Hollow Road.

Another checkpoint will be on Jan. 13 on Pansy Hill Road near Swan Pond Road.

Recognizing the danger presented to the public by unqualified drivers, troopers will concentrate their efforts on vehicles being operated by drivers who would violate the driver license laws of Tennessee.

A report to the Roane County Economic Development Foundation about the school system’s building program was lacking in details, but one man says money should be left when work is complete.
The school system was the biggest beneficiary of the foundation, which dispersed $43 million to Roane County government agencies after the TVA ash spill.
Lee Maines, who was hired to oversee the program, appeared before the foundation last week to give an update on the projects.

Rockwood City Council didn’t approve proposed contracts for outgoing city recorder Jim Hines to continue building inspection and city recorder duties, but that doesn’t mean he’s going anywhere.
Rockwood Mayor James Watts said Hines would continue at his current pay scale and be paid by voucher until someone could be hired to replace him.
“Every two weeks he’ll submit a voucher for his pay,” Watts said following the meeting.
For many on the city council, money was the issue with both contracts Hines proposed.

Roane County was awarded a $100,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development earlier this month for heating and air-conditioning units, ductwork, controls and thermostats at the Roane County Courthouse.
“Anytime we can use somebody else’s money to help us out, that’s a good thing,” County Executive Ron Woody said. “It gets us started a little early on the project.”

STAFF REPORTS
A 38-year-old woman allegedly threatened to shoot her boyfriend because of his chatting on a social network.
Angela Christine Berry was charged with aggravated assault in the Dec. 17 incident.
Rockwood police responded to 704 N. Wilder Ave., to investigate a domestic with shots fired.
Steve Calvin Morrow Jr. told police that he and Berry got into an argument because he used his phone to talk to another woman on Facebook.